MALU SHARMAJAMMU: The 13-member entourage of Vaishno Devi pilgrims from Rajasthan had a horrifying experience at Bari Brahmana when their vehicle was detained by the traffic police and they were made to wait in the scorching sun.
These Vaishno Devi pilgrims were made to sit on the footpath for 5 – 6 hours for no fault. The 13-member family included women, a 3-month and 6-month old toddlers who too faced the brunt of the police at a Naka in Bari Brahmana. The only fault of the pilgrims was that they hired a ‘taxi’ which had tinted glasses. Traffic police staff allegedly comprising SP Rural Mushtaq Choudhari and DTI Rajinder Kour impounded the vehicles and only after the intervention of local MLA Chander Parkash Ganga the pilgrims were made to go home at midnight of Monday.
It is another incident in which the tall claims of the government to promote and provide a hassle free visit to tourist coming to state has been exposed. Ground reality is totally different from the claims that PDP -BJP government made.
While talking to STATE TIMES Hingla, a pilgrim from Ajmer, Rajasthan said, “A traffic police officer stopped us and enquired about the papers and other documents. When everything was found correct he just made an issue of the tinted glasses and seized our car. We were made to sit on the footpath for 5-6 hours. Milk, water bottle, clothes of the children were also in the car and we were not allowed to have water or milk for children. We requested the cops but no one paid attention to our requests. Women and children were made to sit on road in such scorching heat. They treated us very badly. I will never come to J and K again nor would I recommend anyone to come to this state.”
“This is the worst experience we ever had in our life. This is not the way pilgrims are treated in any state,” said Karam Chand Nahriya. “Police cops here do not treat pilgrims as humans. My 3 months old child got ill due to dehydration but the cops did not allow us to have his bottle and water from the car,” added Karam Chand.